Surgical team performs first heart pump procedure

NAPA COUNTY -- A surgical team led by Dr. Andreas Sakopoulos, at St. Helena Hospital, Napa Valley, part of Adventist Heart Institute, has performed the first procedure using an Impella heart pump in the North Bay area.

The Impella procedure joins a long list of St. Helena firsts in cardiac treatment spanning more than three decades, including the first to offer coronary angiograms, coronary angioplasty and coronary bypass surgery, as well as the first to offer "off pump" coronary bypass surgery and endovascular repair of thoracic aortic aneurysms.

"We utilized this device recently on a patient with a heart that was functioning at 10 to 15 percent," Sakopoulos said. "With the use of the Impella, the patient had a five-way bypass operation. Without this new technology he would have had a harder time recovering from surgery and might not have survived."

The Impella, the world's smallest artificial heart pump, can be inserted through a catheter in minutes, using a small incision in the groin. Smaller in diameter than a pencil, and only 10 to 12 centimeters in length, the Impella does not require a sternotomy.

Approved by the Food and Drug Administration for partial circulatory support for six hours, the device delivers 2.5 liters of blood flow per minute, drawing blood from the left ventricle and pumping it into the aorta and out into the body. A larger model is also available, which can pump 5 liters of blood per minute, replacing the entire heart function.

"This is an exciting advance in cardiac care, creating a new standard," Sakopoulos said. "What this means for our patients is that we can now perform life-saving procedures on many who would previously have been considered ineligible for angioplasty or surgery because of the severity of their heart condition. This is a minimally invasive procedure that supports cardiac function delivering blood to the body while we work on a heart, performing angioplasty/stenting or coronary artery bypass surgery."

Manufactured by Abiomed, the Impella established a successful track record in Europe for a number of years before it was approved for use in the United States. It is considered ideal for patients with reduced heart pumping action who need to have the blood vessels to their hearts opened. In addition to providing support during angioplasty, the pump can also be used to help a patient's weakened heart gain strength before and after surgery. This opens up the possibility of life-saving procedures for more patients than ever before.

For more information, visit www.sthelenahospitals.org or call 963-3611.